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Hesarubele Payasa

Hesarubele Payasa is a traditional sweet prepared with coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds, green gram and clarified butter i. e., pure ghee. It is a sweet porridge, slightly thickened to creamy consistency. This consistency is produced using ghee roasted raw rice as a thickening agent in this sumptuous vegan dish.

The Hesarubele Payasa calls for Poppy seeds, which is one of the main ingredients here. The poppy seeds is roasted lightly, to release natural oils present in it, ground to the fine consistency and poppy milk is extracted. Though the features of poppy seeds offers nutty and crunchy taste, here in the Hesarubele Payasa recipe, it lends a a pleasant fruitiness. Though sugar can be added to this nutritional drink, the recipe calls for Jaggery to infuse authentic taste, which is also a first choice healthy option. Jaggery's natural characteristics adds visual treat in Hesarubele Payasa by rendering light golden color.

During festive occasions, especially, Varamahalakshmi Pooja, Hesaru Bele Payasa is offered to Gods as Neivedyam. It is also offered to the guests who are invited, as a welcome drink apart from other goodies. The cooling effect of green gram, coconut milk and poppy seeds, and the warm effect of jaggery lends a perfect balance to this Green Gram Kheer (pudding).Ingredients:

1. Clean and soak rice in water for 10 to 15 minutes. Filter the water and keep aside the rice until it gets dry for around 10 minutes.

2. In a pan, dry roast the poppy seeds for 2 to 3 minutes in medium flame, remove on to a bowl. In the same pan, roast the rice with ghee for about 5 to 10 minutes. Keep these two fried ingredients aside.

3. Dry roast the green gram until the color changes to light brown and nice aroma emanates the kitchen. Clean the green gram with water and pressure cook with 2 cups of water until soft. I used the wooden masher (pappu gutti) to mash cooked green gram.

4. In a blender, blend the coconut pieces, roasted poppy seeds, roasted raw rice, and cardamoms to a fine paste adding little water at a time, and extract the milk from it in a container. All these blended together gives the dish its unique taste. Discard the residue.

5. Now finally we shall mix everything together to make the final pudding. First in a deep and heavy bottomed container, heat jaggery with one cup of water, removing all the impurities. Once done, in the jaggery water, mix the boiled and mashed green gram, and the coconut milk. Once it gets to boil leave on medium flame for about 5 to 10 minutes, keep stirring. (adjust the dish to drinkable consistency adding warm water if required. Now the Hesarubele Payasa is ready.

6. Garnish the Hesarubele Payasa with ghee roasted cashews and raisins, and serve warm or chilled.